Craig Skinner Says Kentucky Volleyball is at the 'Pinnacle of Our Sport' Ahead of Texas A&M National Championship Matchup

Kentucky, under the leadership of head coach Craig Skinner, has become an elite program in college volleyball. On Sunday, the team will have the chance to reach the highest of heights when they play for the National Championship versus Texas A&M.

“We are at the pinnacle of our sport, and it’s a great opportunity for Kentucky volleyball and our fans to be in this moment,” Skinner said.

After Kentucky escaped in a thrilling game against Wisconsin on Thursday night, the Cats and Aggies will be part of a historic title game. It’ll be the first time two SEC teams will be facing each other in the national championship.

“Couldn’t be more proud of our team and how we pulled that match out against Wisconsin,” Skinner said. “All the respect to Texas A&M. Congrats to the SEC for being an elite in volleyball.”

Creating an Environment Bigger than Themselves

When Kentucky lost the first set to Wisconsin in the Final Four matchup on Thursday night, the team was anything but smiles. However, as the team started to come back, the confidence was regained. Kentucky volleyball started to look happy.

Being happy on the court isn’t unique for a team like Kentucky. The team has a fun tradition of drawing smiley faces on their hands before each game.

“The beginning of the season, we gave them a picture of them playing volleyball as little girls,” Skinner said. “Those little girls played it because they love it. It creates an environment where you are playing for something bigger than yourself.”

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That tradition has powered Kentucky to historic heights in 2025. Now, they’ll have an opportunity for a perfect ending.

“It becomes way bigger than that,” Skinner said. “It’s a great reminder because we play the sport because it’s fun.”

So much of Kentucky’s focus has been joy. Skinner said that his staff gave his players pictures of themselves playing volleyball at an early point in their career.

“It’s a collective effort to understand why we play the game,” Skinner said. “Why did that little athlete play volleyball? They loved it; they had fun.”

The NCAA Volleyball National Championship game will take place on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ABC from T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City.